Mute for stringed musical instruments



MUTE FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Nov. 22, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheetl ZNVENTOR.

BY izmseZZfi. ,z'r yman ATTORNEY.

Nov: 6 1945. R. B. KHNGMAN 238%559 MUTE FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTSFiled Nov. 22, 1943 I? 551,15? 5-5:; 2

13x EN TOR firswjgizjmam BY ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 6, 1945 MUTE FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Russell B.Kingman, Orange, N. J.

Application November 22, 1943, Serial No. 511,210

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved means for muting stringed musicalinstruments, such as violins, Violas, cellos, bass-viols and the like.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel mute adapted to beattached to and carried by certain strings of the instrument subject toquick and easy manipulation, whereby it may be moved at will into andout of muting engagement with the string supporting bridge of theinstrument, and so as to be thus readily available for use by theperformer at any time during the playing of the instrument.

The invention has for another object to provide a novel mute which canbe easily applied to and mounted behind the bridge on the instrumentstrings by which it is to be carried, so as to be slidable on saidstrings into and out of muting engagement with said bridge at will.

The invention has for a further object to furnish a mute of the kindmentioned which is provided with string engaging means so arranged thatall tendency to buzzing, rattling or noisy vibration of the mute bodyper se, especially when the mute occupies its retracted inoperativeposition, is avoided.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mute of the kindmentioned which is substantially self-adjusting to variations in thespacing of the instrument strings by which it is to be carried.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularlyenumerated, wil1 be understood from the following detailed descriptionof the same.

Illustrative embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a stringed instrument, showing themute of this invention applied thereto, and wherein the mute is shown byfull lines in its operative or in-service position, and by broken linesin its retracted or outoi-service position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the mute as mounted oninstrument strings and as moved into muting engagement with the stringsupporting bridge of the instrument.

Fig. 3 is a forward end elevational View of the mute as carried byinstrument strings, said view being drawn on further enlarged scale; andFig. 4 is a. side elevational view thereof, the strings being omitted.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of the mute device of thisinvention; Fig. 6 is a plan view in part section of another modifiedform thereof; and Fig. '7 is a plan view in part section of stillanother modified form thereof.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views of the mute bodyrespectively showing various modificaticns of string receiving groovesor channels with which the sides thereof are provided.

Fig. 11 is a side elevational view of another modified form of the muteas mounted on instrument strings, and as moved to and held in retractedinoperative or outof-service position.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above describedviews, to indicate corresponding parts.

The reference character ll indicates the body of a stringed musicalinstriunent, such e. g. as a violin, the strings l2 of which areanchored to a tail-piece i3, to pass thence over the bridge M to theneck of the instrument. The mute according to this invention is adaptedto be mounted on a pair of the strings 12, in connection with theportions of the latter which extend between the tail-piece l3 and thebridge l4. Preferably the mute is mounted on a pair of intermediatestrings 12, such e. g. as the D and A strings of a, violin.

The mute, in one embodiment thereof as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive,comprises a block-like body It: of suitable length, width and thickness,which may be made of ebony or like hard wood, plastic material, or otherrigid material of desirable qualities. Formed as an integral part ofsaid body l5, to project longitudinally forward from the front endthereof, is a thrust tongue l6 of less width than the distance betweenthe strings l2 upon which the body I5 is mounted. Said thrust tongue l6lies substantially in the plane of the top portion of said body [5, andsaid thrust tongue I8 is provided with an inwardly and downwardlyshallowly inclined under surface or bottom face ll. Below said thrusttongue 16, the forward end of the body 55 provides a substantial area ofcontact surface [8 adapted, when the mute occupies a forwardly movedoperative or in-service position, to abut and bear firmly against therear face surface of the bridge I4. The lower portions IQ of the sidesof said body l5 are inwardly inclined toward its bottom face, thusproviding a bottom portion of cuneate formation in cross-section of lesswidth at its tapered free end than the distance between the strings l2with which the body is to be engaged. Formed in the upper portions ofthe sides of said body l5 are longitudinally extending, endwise open,string receiving channels or grooves 20.

Formed in connection with the upper face of the body I5, to upstandtherefrom, is a suitably shaped finger-piece 2 I, whereby the body maybe moved to and from operative bridge engaging position.

To apply the mute body I5 to the desired pair of instrumentstrings l2 bywhich it is to be carried, said body I5 is aligned with and between thestrings at a point behind the bridge I4, and with its cuneate bottomformation provided by the inwardly inclined sides l9 disposed to passbetween said strings, as indicated by the relation of the mute to thedotted representation of the strings shown in Fig. 3. With the body l5thus disposed, the same is merely pushed down between the strings [2, asindicated by the arrow in said Fig. 3, whereupon the cuneate lowerportion of the body enters between the strings l2, so that the inclinedsides I9 engage and easily spread apart the latter for downward movementof the mute body therebetween, until the strin receiving channels rgrooves 20 are brought into opposition to said strings, whereupon thelatter snap into said channels or grooves 2B, and thus slidably mountthe mute body on said strings.

To position the mute in inoperative or out-ofservice position, the bodyI is slid rearwardly on it supporting strings away from the bridge [4and toward the tail-piece l3 of the instrument, and thus to the positionindicated by the broken line representation of the mute body shown in.Fig. 1.

To position the mute in operative or in-service position, wherein itengages the bridge [4 with mutin effect, the body I5 is slid forward onits supporting strings up to the bridge I4, and thus to the positionindicated by full line representation of the mute body shown in Figs. 1and 2. As the mute body I5 approaches the bridge l4, its thrust tongueIE will ride onto the top edge of the bridge, so as to engage the latterby its inclined under surface or bottom face 11. As this inclined undersurface or bottom face I! is advanced over the top edge of the bridgeI4, it tends to exert an upward thrust upon the mute body [5 and uponthe strings supporting the latter, so that by the time the contactsurface l8 at the forward end of said body l5 firmly abuts the back ofthe bridge J4, thereactive stress of the upthrust strings functions tofrictionally bind the meeting surface portions of the thrust tongue andbridge edge together against relative displacement, thus firmly holdingthe mute body in contact with the bridge M with desired vibrationdampening or muting effect.

To enhance the frictional grip of the body It upon the strings I? bywhich it is supported, whereby to both secure the body againstaccidental longitudinal displacement, when occupying either in-serviceor out-of-service position,

and at the same time so relate the body to the supportin strings thatany buzzing, rattling or noisy vibration of the body per se iseliminated, various means may be provided. For example, as shown inFigs. 2 to 4 inclusive, the string receiving channels or grooves 23 maybe given a somewhat serpentine formation in vertical plane, thusproviding spaced and staggered string snubbing points 22 along thelength of said channels or grooves, which so engage the strings enteredtherein as to slightly angularly flex and snub the same to the body 15,whereby the body is held, against vibratory movement relative to thecarrying string portions, as Well as against amcidental longitudinalshifting upon or along the latter. When this type of string receivingchannel or groove is employed, the outlyin portions of the snubbingpoints 22, contiguous to the open side of the channel or groove, areinwardly chamfered as at 23, whereby to provide lateral guide facesinclining inwardly to converge toward the medial longitudinal axis ofthe channel or groove as a whole which serve to lead a stringconformably into the latter, when the mute body is operatively insertedbetween the strings for engagement therewith.

Another arrangement for obtaining anti-rattlin and anti-shift relationof the mute body 15 relative to its supporting strings 12, as shown inFig. 5, comprises the provision of outwardly bulged portions 24 at thebottoms of the channels or grooves intermediate the ends thereof.

These bulged portions tend to somewhat bow the channel or grooveengaging portions of the strings l2, to thereby somewhat tensionallygrip the mute body between the thus laterally stressed strings. Anothersomewhat similar arrangement is shown in Fig. 6, wherein an outwardlybowed leaf sprin 25 is afixed in the bottom of each string receivingchannel or groove of the mute body 15. The latter construction has thefurther advantage of rendering the body l5 substantially self-adjustingto variations in the spacing of the strings 12 by which it is to becarried.

In Fig. 7 there is shown another anti-buzzing or rattling andself-adjusting mute body construction in which the string receivingchannels or grooves 20 are provided with yieldable sprin pressed stringengaging shoes 26 disposed therein to extend along the interior thereof.These shoes 26 are respectively carried by shanks 2! extending intotransverse slide way bores 28 formed in the mute body; said bores havingdiametrically enlarged inner end portions 29 providing shouldersengageable by annular flanges or stopportions 30 with which the innerends of said shanks 21 are provided, whereby outward movement of theshoes 26 is limited. Spring means 3| is arranged between the oppositelyextending shanks 21 so as to transmit yieldable outward thrust to theshoes. To facilitate production of the bores 28 and their end portions29, as well as the assembly therewith of the shoe and shank and springstructure, the mute body is split longitudinally into two halves I5 andI5", which, after assembly of the structure is obtained, are suitablypermanently joined together, as e. g. by gluing one to the other. Itwill be understood, that when the respective shoes 26 are engaged by thestrings entered in the channels or groove 26, the same, by theiryielding thrust, will not only adjust themselves to the spacing of thestrings, but will so tensionally bear on the strings as to preventbuzzing, rattling or like undesirable vibration of the mute body.

A very simple form of anti-buzzing or rattlin construction is shown inFig. 8, wherein the string receiving channels or grooves 20, have theirinterior surfaces lined with a resilient lining means 32. This liningmeans may be made of any suitable comparatively soft and yieldablematerial. For example, a pile fabric, such as velour, velvet or the likemay be used, and disposed with its pile face outward, the back of thesame being cemented or adhered to the channel or groove surfaces. Itwill be obvious that such resilient lining means 32 will cushion thestring and mute body against relative vibration, and at the same timewill effect such frictionalerip 11 the stringas topr event accidentallongitudinal shifting displacement of the mute body, especially when thelatter is retracted to inoperative or out-of-service position.

It will be understood that the string receiving channels or grooves 20may be made of various cross-sectional shapes, such e. g. as of V-shape,as shown in Fig. 9, or of rigid V-shape as shown in Fig. 10, wherein aninternal seat 20 is provided at the bottom interior thereof, in whichthe receiv ing string may seat itself, so as to be held againstdisplacement.

In Fig. 11 is shown another modified construction of mute wherein thebody I is provided with the bridge engaging thrust tongue [6 at itsforward end, and with a similar rearwardly projecting thrust tongue 33at its rearward end. Said rearward thrust tongue 33 is also providedwith an inwardly and downwardly shallowly inclined under or bottom face34. When the mute body [5 as thus constructed is retracted on thesupporting strings I2 to out-ofservice position, the rearward thrusttongue 33 will ride onto the top marginal surface of the tail-piece [3,as shown in Fig. 11, and, in so doing, tends to exert an upward thrustupon the mute body l5 and upon the supporting strings 12, so thatreactive stress of the up-thrust strings functions to frictionally bindthe rearward thrust tongue to the tail-piece, whereby to hold the bodyagainst forward movement along the strings, and thus against accidentaldisplacement from out-of-service-position. At the same time, theup-thrust of the body l5 against the strings [2 also holds the formerrelative to the latter so as to eliminate buzzing, rattling or likeundesirable vibration of the body when out of use. It will be obviousthat the thrust tongue 33 may be optionally located so as to engageeither the upper marginal surface or the lower marginal surface of thetail-piece i 3, whereby, in either case thrust of the body against thestrings will induce reactive stress in the latter for the purposesstated.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A mute for a stringed instrument having a bridge by which its stringsare supported comprising, a unitary block-like main body having endwiseopen longitudinal channels in opposite sides thereof to receive stringsstraddled thereby so as to slidably mount the body on said stringsbehind the bridge, said body having a cuneate bottom formation tofacilitate its downward passage between said strings for applicationthereto, and a thrust tongue projecting longitudinally from the forwardend of said body, said thrust tongue having an inwardly, downwardly andshallowly inclined underside adapted to ride onto the top edge of thebridge when said body is forwardly moved on said strings to abut thebridge with muting effect, whereby to produce sufficient down-thrustingtension in the engaged strings to frictionally retain said body againstdisplacement from its muting relation to the bridge.

2. A mute for a stringed instrument having a bridge by which its stringsare supported comprising, a unitary block-like main body having endwiseopen longitudinal channels in opposite sides thereof to receive stringsstraddled thereby so as to slidably mount the body on said stringsbehind the bridge, a thrust tongue projecting longitudinally from theforward end of said body, said thrust tongue having an inwardly,downwardly and shallowly inclined underside adapted LO ride onto the topedge of the bridge when said body is forwardly moved on said strings toabut the bridge with muting efiect, whereby to produce sufficientdown-thrusting tension in the engaged strings to frictionally retainsaid body against displacement from its muting relation to the bridge,and string engaging means in association with said channels forretaining the body and strings free from buzzing, rattling or relativevibration.

3. A mute for a stringed instrument having a bridge by which its stringsare supported comprising, a unitary block-like main body having endwiseopen longitudinal channels in opposite sides thereof to receive stringsstraddled thereby so as to slidably mount the body on said stringsbehind the bridge, a thrust tongue projecting longitudinally from theforward end of said body, said thrust tongue having an inwardly,downwardly shallowly inclined underside adapted to ride onto the topedge of the bridge when said body is forwardly moved on said strings toabut the bridge with muting effect, whereby to produce downthrustingtension in the engaged strings to frictionally retain said body againstdisplacement from its muting relation to the bridge, and string engagingmeans in association with said channels for retaining the body andstrings free from buzzing, rattling or relative vibration, said lattermeans comprising a channel formation of shallow serpentine shape invertical plane to provide spaced and staggered string snubbing pointsalong the extent thereof.

4. A mute for a stringed instrument having a bridge by which its stringsare supported comprising, a unitary block-like main body having endwiseopen longitudinal channels in opposite sides thereof to receive stringsstraddled thereby so as to slidably mount the body on said stringsbehind the bridge, said body having a cuneate bottom formation tofacilitate its downward passage between said strings for applicationthereto, a thrust tongue projecting longitudinally from its forward endof said body, said thrust tongue having an inwardly, downwardly andshallowly inclined underside adapted to ride onto the top edge of thebridge when said body is forwardly moved on said strings to abut thebridge with muting effect, whereby to produce sufiicient down-thrustingtension in the engaged strings to frictionally retain said body againstdisplacement from its muting relation to the bridge, and string engagingmeans in association with said channels for retaining the body andstrings free from buzzing, rattling or relative vibration, said lattermeans comprising a channel formation of shallow serpentine shape invertical plane to provide spaced and staggered string snubbing pointsalong the extent thereof.

RUSSELL B. KINGMAN.

